


Guess Who's Back

by DupreeWolf



Series: Joshua Shepard [1]
Category: Mass Effect - All Media Types, Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Comfort No Hurt, Custom Shepard (Mass Effect), Fix-It, Fluff, M/M, Paragon Shepard (Mass Effect), Self-Indulgent, joshua shepard, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-31
Updated: 2018-10-31
Packaged: 2019-08-11 13:35:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,198
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16476545
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DupreeWolf/pseuds/DupreeWolf
Summary: The Commander just can't stay dead, can he?





	Guess Who's Back

**Author's Note:**

> Super indulgent, I just want everyone to be alive.

Shepard remembered feeling cold. A cold as powerful as being dunked in arctic water that seeped into his marrow. So cold it almost felt like he was being boiled alive.

  
Then he remembered feeling warm. Gradually getting warmer and warmer as if someone was piling blanket atop blanket on him. Not unpleasant but not pleasant either, worrisome if anything.

  
Worrisome, if he could feel worried, if he could even think. As it stood he could only ... notice. "This is the way things feel, that is all," kind of thing.

  
But if he could think (and sometimes maybe he could, but it happened so quickly he never even had time to process his own thoughts) he would think about the people he missed. The ones that were around before he committed to martyrdom via throwing himself into a giant vaporizing laser. A laser that would supposedly evolve the galaxy to it's final form, like the galaxy simply consisted of Pokémon that could be so expertly re-written.

  
Shepard would have at least liked to have known it had worked. He prayed and prayed to a god he'd been doubting. But at this point if he didn't see them, he didn't figure he ever would.

 

...

 

It was around 2 am standard time on the Citadel when Kastros Remar made his way to a nondescript control center for the small financial district on the Kithoi ward. He was merely doing his job, checking some wiring, making sure the traffic cams were still properly aligned and things like that. A standard day for Kastros.

  
But as soon as he walked into the room, Kastros noticed something different. To the right of the traffic cams control panels and halfway hidden by a small shelf was a door. A real, whole and solid door. One that hadn't been there before.

  
He checked the layout schematics. Maybe he had just never noticed it before? No door on the schematics. He checked them again. Still no door. Kastros freaked out a little. He debated on opening the door but decided against it. He checked the schematics again.

At last, he contacted C-Sec.

  
That’s how Commander Bailey ended up on the Kithoi Ward with eight highly trained officers, all of which had no idea what they were doing.

  
"How could a door just show up?" a Quarian officer muttered to her Turian college.

  
"Maybe the keepers installed it over night?" The Turian suggested.

  
"And where would it go? Space? As far as we know what lies beyond that door is nothing but void!"

  
"Quayr!" Bailey barked at the Quarian, "You got a drone up and working yet?"

  
Immediately Quayr snapped to attention, "Y-yes, sir!" Then, with a few taps against her omnitool, a light green drone popped into existence and passed through the still closed door while the officers waited in anticipation behind hesitantly.

  
A long hall, nothing unusual and much like the ones that twined together on the entirety of the Citadel. The lights were dim and there was no signs of life. At the end of the hallway sat another door.

  
"Should I continue, Commander?" Quayr asked hesitantly.

  
Bailey nodded grimly.

  
The drone pressed on through the doors and into a sterile white tiled room, decent in size and perfectly square shaped. The room was completely bare. Except for what seemed to be a sleeper pod, but thicker and covered in fat tubes and small flashing lights. All solid white.

  
"C-Commander, I ... "

  
"Keep going, lieutenant."

  
"Yes sir."

  
The drone closed in on the pod.

  
"I swear if something jumps out, I'm going to scream," the Turian whispered.

  
"I'm sure we all will," Bailey replied.

  
On the pod's front was one glass pane, and as the drone steadily moved in closer to see past the glare of the harsh lights Bailey could see a human figure laying soundly inside.

  
"Oh my spirits, that's-!"

  
Commander Bailey thought to himself as he stared at the body of Commander Joshua F. Shepard, _'I should probably contact the Alliance'._

...

It was about 8 am when Kaidan woke up. Not from a nightmare, not this time thankfully. But his body was so used getting shocked awake by his own trembling (same time, same place every morning) that even when he didn't have nightmares he would wake up as if one was fresh on his mind.

  
_God_ , he missed Shepard.

  
It had already been a year. A year of rebuilding and re-learning peace.

  
Lots of criminals took the opportunity to ransack supplies and ships. So many it almost made Kaidan want to give up sometimes. What was the point of saving the galaxy if it was filled with a bunch of assholes? Why sacrifice the kindest, sweetest, and strongest man in the entire universe for a handful of jackasses?

  
Those were the harder days.

  
The better days, the easier days, were filled with friends and coworkers and the occasional well-meaning citizen that truly tried to make the galaxy a better place. From small donations to favors from the Shadow Broker, all found their way into his hands to figure out what to do with them. Namely, how to use them to get the system up and running again.

  
Kaidan was glad to keep his friends close by. Of course everyone was also busy helping their home worlds, just as Kaidan was helping Earth. But fortunately, a lot of their business was either on or passed by the Citadel, allowing for a lot of meet-ups and hang-outs.

  
James, at one point after the war, set up a huge bar party for everyone. It was almost as big as the party Shepard had in his apartment, but ... it lacked the enthusiasm. He planned it a little early, when the bruises and burns still ached, and it showed on everyone's faces. But when asked, James just told him "that's the point, amigo. This isn't a celebration, it's a mourning."

  
Kaidan got pretty fucked up that night, and he wasn't the only one. But James was right, it did help give a little closure. And after everyone sobbed their eyes out and told their favorite 'Shepard Story', they left feeling a little lighter.

  
Then they all spent the next year on rebuilding. Hell, to Kaidan it looked like they would spent the next ten years rebuilding, with or without Reaper support.

  
Oh yeah, _the Reapers_.

  
That was still the strangest thing to Kaidan, possibly the strangest thing to everyone.

  
The Reapers turned sides. They were good, or at least neutral? Hell, Kaidan didn't know. All he knew was that Shepard, _his_ Shepard died to turn on a gun that _didn't kill_ but somehow saved everyone, even the Reapers.

And while it was still hard to believe, it wasn't too hard to swallow because that was just _so_ Shepard. Not only did he have to cure the genophange _and_ unite the Quarians _and_ Geth to end their war, _and_ not only did bring together the entire galaxy, (held together by mere threads) but he _also_ just had to save the _goddamn Reapers_. Peace for everybody.

  
Fucking big hearted show off that he was.

  
One night after the war, after the dust had settled, (and it was clear Shepard wasn't coming back) Liara came to Kaidan and told him, "He asked me to give this to you ... if he didn't make it."

  
In her small blue hands was a very simple wooden box just large enough to fill her palm. Kaidan already knew what it was.

  
And he had cried, so desperately and for so long that when he stopped he almost felt like he fought a second battle.

  
"In a way, you did," Liara had told him, her arms wrapped around his broad shoulders, "A battle of emotions. It's okay, Kaidan. To let it out is good."

  
Her own eyes were not left dry that night.

  
It still hurt, (it had only been a year) but Kaidan could now see his picture without crying excessively and could talk about him with only a waver in his voice.

  
Which was definitely a good thing as almost every time he was assigned to a clean up crew someone asked about Shepard. And Kaidan didn't blame them, of course they would want to know more about Shepard from someone who seemed like an inside source. Kaidan was happy to tell them all the good things aboard the Normandy and how hard his Shepard had worked (though he always left out the _his_ part).

  
At his current station, on the Zekara Ward doing clean up, one crewman in particular was always hopping about, peppering him with queries. She was an asari, on the smaller side with tons of freckles dotting her face and fringe. She worked hard and fast and asked Kaidan question after question every chance she got. Some might have found it annoying (he might have a few months ago) but it was endearing to Kaidan.

  
"I wanted to join the Alliance," she told him at lunch, with a pink blush on her face.

  
"But, Tav, you're-"

  
"An asari! I know, I know. I just," she stumbled to look for a word and she played with her drink, "I didn't think about that. I just thought of all the good Shepard was doing, and I wanted to do some good too. And while, yeah the Commandos are great they've never been as individual as you humans get."

  
Kaidan nodded, having heard this kind of thing already from Liara and such. "With the Commandos you would be a group member," he agreed, "following one leader for good or bad. But you know, that's also how Shepard started out. It's how all Alliance soldiers start out."

  
"Ha, yeah. I realized that later. But when I finally decided to join the Commandos well ...," a stormy look clouded her eyes as her sentence trailed off, and Kaidan could so easily imagine what had happened.

  
When hostiles were everywhere and your home world was being destroyed  _everyone_ became soldiers, no time for formalities.

  
Tav waved a hand in front of her face and gave a happier look. "Sorry, let's change the subject, shall we? I was think-"

  
Just then the doors to the make shift lounge opened to show a man, one of their crewmen, heavily breathing and looking like he ran a marathon. Knowing that he was suppose to be at building DL-74 (a mile and a half away), Kaidan supposed he just might have.

  
"Carlos! Are you okay? What's wrong?" Tav asked as she and Kaidan rose from their seats.

  
"It's -huff huff- the Alliance!" Carlos gasped out as he tried to regain his breath. "They're in c-sec and asking for you, Major Alenko!"

  
Kaidan left right away.

 

...

 

For someone who was "needed right then and there", they sure left Kaidan waiting a long time before being seen.

  
It took him forty-six minutes to get to the headquarters of c-sec, and another fifteen to go to their mystery destination once the c-sec attendant found him. And yet as soon as he arrived, they put him in a waiting room. Well technically it was a "temporary attendance office" or "TAO" as the Alliance officer told him, but he wasn't stupid. Those were fancy words for the same damn thing.

  
Kaidan counted fifteen minutes passing until the door opened again.

  
"And if you could step right this way, thank you," said the same officer that lead Kaidan there, this time with him a familiar face behind him.

 

"Oh, uh thank you. And may I ask-"

  
"If you'll please excuse me," the officer cut her off, "I have other matters to attend to. The Admiral will be here shortly." Then proceeded to shut the door.

  
"Liara," Kaidan said in awe as he stood up to greet his friend.

  
"Kaidan!" She turned and smiled then walked to him with her arms open. The underneath of her eyes were dark and her skin looked greyed. Just like Kaidan thought, she wasn't getting much sleep either.

  
They shared between them a brief but meaningful hug. Kaidan, having missed actual physical contact with a loved one for six weeks, wished it could have lasted a little longer.

  
"Kaidan, I have missed you so much!" Liara exclaimed as she held him at arms length to get a good look at him. "What are you doing here?"

  
"You probably know more than me," Kaidan huffed out and they both took a seat at one of the benches. "I was overlooking a clean up crew when I was called to come immediately, just so I could wait here. What did they tell you?"

  
"Absolutely nothing," Liara said with a scowl, "I was about to leave to the Hawking Eta cluster, to bring much needed supplies to some colonists, when I was forcibly called down to c-sec and then dragged here."

  
"How soon do those colonist need those supplies?" Kaidan asked, worried.

  
"Oh don't worry about that," Liara waved it off with a smile, "I had Feron and Javik take care of it for me."

  
"Oh, yeah? Are they getting along well?"

  
"Just as well as you'd expect," she shrugged with a sigh.

  
"So ... not at all?"

  
"Yes, not at all. It's almost as bad as having Jack and Miranda in the same room."

  
"You know I always thought they were dating," Kaidan admitted sheepishly.

  
"What? I couldn't see-"

  
The door opened once more and walking in was non-other than Admiral Hackett himself, looking shocked that the two were sitting there.

  
"Why are you two doing out here in the waiting room and not the TAO?" The Admiral gestured to the office door on the other side of the room, the one Kaidan thought an officer would call him into.

  
"The TAO?" Liara hesitantly asked.

  
"The temporary attendance room, come follow me."

  
Kaidan and Liara stood, following Hackett as he opened up the door.

  
"-ell I think they're rounding us all up to kill us off, to make sure no one is left behind to tell our stories, the truth!"

  
Kaidan saw as he entered the room a good proportion of his closest friends all sitting around an oval table, like a business entourage waiting for a sales pitch. Garrus, James, and Joker seemed to be in a heated debate on why exactly they were all there, while EDI watched in amusement and Tali tapped away on her data pad.

  
All conversation ceased as Hackett walked in with his two guests in tow, and the group went up in a chorus of "Liara!" and "Kaidan!"

  
"See!" Joker shouted, pointing fingers at his friends, "two more lambs led to the slaughter!"

  
"Trust me Moreau," Hackett said as he walked to the front of the room and set down the datapads in his hands, "if I wanted you and your friends dead, you'd be dead already. Major Alenko, Dr. T'soni, if you both would take a seat I will explain why I've called you all here."

  
"Finally," Kaidan heard Garrus mutter as he took the seat beside him.

  
An alarm chirped on Hackett's omnitool.  
"Or I would anyway but it seems we've run out of time. Follow me." Hackett gathered the notebooks and folders he had placed on the table and walked out the door at a brisk pace.

 

'You have to be kidding me', Kaidan thought to himself as James muttered "what the fuck," beside him. Nevertheless they all stood and followed the Admiral with minor grumbling and fussing.

  
He took them down hallway and past the financial district, only using back alleyways and always with a brisk pace, down paths Kaidan had never used before.

  
"I feel very uncomfortable about this," Joker muttered to him at one point, "though it could just be my bones."

  
"Do you not trust Admiral Hackett, Jeff?" EDI asked him.

  
"I don't trust anyone who makes more money than me."

  
"Excuse me, Admiral Hackett, but where are you taking us?" Tali's voice echoed from the front of the group.

  
"The new room," he said simply, no space for more explanation.

  
"A News room?," James exclaimed in quiet exasperation, "I swear if he's taking us to get interviews at Citadel Daily..."

  
"Why the hell would he pull us from our work, make us wait hours, and drag us halfway across the Kithoi ward just to get a damn interview?" Garrus snapped back at him. "Not to mention he's a damn Admiral. I'm sure he has a lot more important things to do than take the lot of us from point A to point B."

  
Kaidan agreed. Not to mention, this was a bizarre way to get to a News station. Kaidan hadn't even heard of any major news groups in the Kithoi ward.

  
Finally they got to a nondescript control center and Hackett lead them inside where tens of officers and scientists bustled about, going in and out of the door or staring at a monitor.

  
"Admiral Hackett!" one officer by the monitor stood up and saluted.

  
"At ease," the admiral replied back. "Status report."

  
"Eight minutes, sir."

  
"Good, good," Hackett then turned to the miscellaneous group behind him and gestured towards the Alliance issue armors and weapons cabinet. "Suit up, you might need it."

  
The group erupted in a cacophony.

  
"Look, look," Hackett sighed, rubbing a hand over his face, "I understand you have questions but we are under a time limit and I need you all ready. We don't know exactly what we're dealing with and we need to be prepared for anything. All you need to know is it involves Shepard."

  
With that said, everyone went still.

  
Garrus was the first one to move and quickly and quietly grabbed a single gun. The others followed suit, grabbing what they needed. With Shepard's name dropped, everyone was filled with silent determination. Except Joker, who filled the silence with ceaseless questions.

  
"Why am I, the guy who could die due to a stiff breeze, here? I'm a pilot, not Blasto!"

  
"You must have something the Admiral deemed integral to the mission," EDI placated.

  
"Unless it's flying a ship, I doubt-"

  
"Two minutes, Admiral," the officer alerted Hackett.

  
He nodded to her then turned once again to his guest, "follow me."

  
Hackett lead them through the door at the back of the room, the officers around it parting like the Red Sea. The hallway was long and dimmer than Kaidan was used to. (Then again, he never went below surface level much, as all his crew spots were up top.) Little lights on the edges of the walkway blinked like little winking eyes as the sound of eight people walked in silence. When they reached the end of the hallway they met the same kind of door, which Admiral Hackett proceeded to open and shout out a command, "clear out!" to anyone presiding inside.

  
About ten scientists and officers scuttled out, pushing passed the group and down the hallway.

  
The room, Kaidan saw as he walked in, was almost completely white and covered in small square tiles. It reminded him of something he couldn't quite put his tongue on.

  
"Makes you think of a bathroom, huh?" Kaidan mused out loud, getting a chuckle from Vega.

  
"Makes me think of Prothean technology," Liara mused back.

  
Ah, that's what Kaidan was thinking of.

  
"What is this?" Tali wondered as she walked to the room's centerpiece, a massive pile of wires attached and hanging from a person-sized obelisk.

  
"Looks like a sleeper pod for the rich," Garrus chuffed. "All those wires going to keep their asses warm."

  
EDI said nothing as she circled around the pod. When she reached the back, she leaned forward then let out a massive gasped as if the lungs she never had were ripped out of her.

  
All at once, everyone rushed to her as she stood stock still, unable to speak.

  
"What's wrong?" Joker urged, taking a hold of one of her hands.

  
One by one they all turned to face what EDI was looking at and found themselves face to face with the Commander they thought they lost within the pod. A small timer shimmered in the top right corner of the pod's window, a count down.

 

Six

 

"T-that's Shepard!" James, as usual, pointed out the obvious.

Liara covered her mouth and looked like she was about to cry.

 

Five

 

"How in space did he end up here?" Tali choked out, "How is he alive?"

 

Four

 

"We don't know if he is, or even if he is Shepard. What if he's another clone?" James refuted.

  
"Is that why Hackett armed us?"

  
Everyone looked solemnly at their weapons then back to the sleeping face.

 

Three

 

They all took out their weapons and pointed them at the unopened pod.

 

Two

 

Kaidan looked at the face of his dead lover. His chest felt ready to burst, ready to rip open with emotions flooding his system. Anger, happiness, sadness, and all variations twanged in his heart. While simultaneously ... he felt numb.

 

Should he be excited seeing the face of his beloved? Or fearful? Hope bloomed in his chest but rationale stomped it down. As much as he hoped for it to be true, for Joshua Shepard to be alive and well, his reasoning couldn't just let it be so. Back and forth his mind raged.

  
He felt tears welling up in his eyes.

  
It was Horizon all over again.

 

One

 

"If it is him," Joker whispered from behind his girlfriend, "I'm going to kill him."

 

Zero

 

Shepard's eyes popped open for a mere fraction of a section before the pod was filled with white smoke. The pod opened with a slight suction 'pop' and a hiss as the steam (or whatever it was) floated out. Two hands gripped the sides of the pod as the door lowered and out he came. Hunched over, coughing and naked was Joshua F. Shepard, shivering and stretching as everyone watched him in silence.

  
He looked up and only then seemed like he noticed the other people in the room, his closest friends. His eyes connected to each and everyone of them, then looked over himself, found himself naked and rushed to cover up his private parts with his hands. A noticeable blush was on his face.

  
"Uhhh, hi guys?" He said tentatively, "What's up? Ummm, what's going on?" he asked with a pointed look at the guns aimed at him. "Where are we?"

  
"We thought maybe you could tell us," James said and Kaidan nearly applauded him on being able to keep his voice calm and level.

  
The Commander just looked even more confused.

  
"Um, no I don't think I've ever been here," Shepard answered. "Kind of looks like a weird bathroom though. I, uh, have to admit I haven't had a dream like this in a long time. You know those dreams where you're accidently show up to school naked or whatever?" He gave an awkward laugh, followed by an even more awkward cough. "Though, usually, when I notice it's a dream I wake up ... yep, sure am taking my time waking up. C-could I, uh maybe, get some pants? While I wait to wake up?"

  
"Shepard," Garrus growled out in a tone that sounded like he was on the verge of tears, something Kaidan had never heard before. Garrus lowered his weapon, the others followed his lead "We thought you were dead."

  
"Again?"

  
"Can we please get him some damn clothes," Joker huffed, coming out from behind EDI. "Unlike some of you, I don't care to see the commander full monty."

 

...

 

One pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt later, "Shepard" was left sitting at a small table in a room with an officer he'd never met before.

  
It was an interrogation room, that much was obvious by the set up and giant fucking mirror on one side of the room. Shepard may not have known exactly what was going on, but he was piecing together the details.

  
The end battle. The Illusive Man. _Anderson_. The catalyst. Having to make a choice.

  
He died, again. That was one thing he was sure of. A giant vaporizing laser rarely leaves you alive and unscathed. And he wasn't just unscathed, oh no. He could feel every cell in his body, every thread, every molecule. He was like a fresh baby in a hospital, no injuries, no scars, and most noticeable: no internal implants. All of Cerberus's work? Down the drain apparently. _And he wasn't dead._

  
He didn't know how much time had passed. Could have been a few days, could have been years, it was impossible to tell. Especially as no one was very keen on talking to him, though he couldn't very well blame them. He had already died once _and_ a clone of his had tried to kill them all, in two mostly unrelated incidents.

  
'Miranda would be a great help', Shepard thought to himself. He hoped one of his crewmates would come to the same conclusion, probably Tali or Garrus seeing as they knew her best.

Shepard sighed internally. He really just wanted to go home, though he supposed home had been the Normandy and he wasn't sure if he could even be assigned to her again, he sure as hell wasn't going to live on the ship all his life ... whatever was left of it.  
Would they even let him re-join the Alliance? He only got reinstated the first time because of the reapers and … and Anderson. Would they even believe he’s him? Is he him? Would he know if he was a clone?

  
Ugh, what Shepard did know was he was going to think himself to death (re-re-death?) if they left him alone any longer.

  
But Shepard, while not entirely enjoying all the tedious protocol, could understand why his friends would be wary, just as he could understand them post-Cerberus extreme makeover. All they knew was that the beam was set off (it obviously went well, Shepard knew or they wouldn't be there but he still was unsure of it's finer details) and that Shepard reappeared in a pod however longer later.

  
He considered lying, saying "oh well I knew the citadel was going to crash so I found this life pod and just hopped in, hoping for the best" but that left too many plot holes and Shepard was never much of a liar to begin with. No one would believe that. Well, Joker might but he never looked at anything below skin level. Liara, of course would know he was lying before he opened his mouth! Shepard couldn't even lie to her about the small things like "yes I got enough sleep" or "no, I didn't drink the entire box of hot chocolate this morning". Guilt always ate at him like eezo ate rust on a battery. So he decided to tell the truth.

  
_I went up the beam after almost dying. Killed my mentor and the closest person I had to a father. Then a supercomputer AI took the form of a little boy that haunted my nightmares and told me I had three choices and had to choose the fate of the entire galaxy. 1. to kill of the Reapers but subsequently all AI, such as one of my good friends and the race I just saved from a war 2. to become the god of AI or something (he didn't really understand that one himself) or 3. kill myself in a laser beam to evolve everyone like Pokémon somehow._

  
Shepard let his head thud on the table.

  
There was no way anyone was going to believe that.

 

...

 

"It's him, that's Shepard."

  
"Garrus," Tali sighed, "we would all like it to be Shepard but we need to run some test-"

  
"What's to test? He probably saw that the Citadel was going to crash then took a nap in some cryo-sleep pod," Joker huffed. It seemed him and Garrus were one-hundred percent sure it was Shepard, just by looking at him.

  
"That doesn't explain how he was in perfect condition! Not to mention naked!" James argued.

  
"Well I think we show get Miranda," Tali suggested, "or even Doctor Chakwas! They would be far more suited to test if this is really Shepard or just a clone."

  
"We're his friends! Of course we're suited to see if it's Shepard!" James growled out, getting more frustrated by the second.

  
"Tali has a point though," Garrus nodded as he leaded back against a wall, "Miranda knows him, literally, inside and out. And she's done this all before."

  
"I agree with James," Liara added. For all her stress, none of it showed as she sat with her legs crossed, hands folded in her lap, looking as severe as she was tired. "But I also think additional test would be beneficial."

  
Meanwhile, Kaidan sat taking it all in. The others, mercifully, allowed him some time to think and never forced him to participate in their discussion.

  
One part of Kaidan knew it was right to be cautious, to do testing, to take their time. But the other part of Kaidan wanted to throw open the doors and snatch Shepard up and just let it be. To put himself out there and let whatever was going to happen, happen.

  
But if the person turned out to not be Shepard? Well, Kaidan wasn't going to allow some imposter to ruin Shepard's name, to steal his life.

  
'What would Shepard do if he was here?' Kaidan thought to himself, 'what would he do if the situation was reversed?'

  
He would try to talk first, of course. That's always been his first course of action. Talk it out. If it doesn't add up, dig deeper. Kaidan almost smacked his head against the wall for his own stupidity.

  
Having his mind made, Kaidan stood up, ready to tell everyone what he decided to do.

  
"Hey," Joker said instead, "where's EDI?"

 

...

 

"Shepard."

  
"EDI ... how are you?" What a dumb question. Shepard could feel the awkwardness down to his bones.

  
There she stood at the door, having sent away the unnamed officer. Shepard was surprised they let her in first, he assumed they would make someone he's never met be his interrogator. He was glad it was her though, he wanted to see her, make sure she was truly unharmed. After everything the AI said, Shepard still worried about her state after he made his choice.

  
She looked okay, better than okay. She was wearing official Alliance blues, making Shepard smile. Despite being the one in the chair, Shepard wanted to be the one questioning her. Mostly, how are you?

  
Instead he watched as she walked to the chair in front of him and sat down, all the while with a small smile on her face.

  
"I have contacted Ms. Lawson, Shepard," she said in a low voice as she sat down a glass of water in front of him. "She will be here within two days."

  
"Thank you," he replied and took the drink.

  
"Are you really Shepard?"

  
Shepard laughed, a real laugh. One he hadn't had for months even before the final battle. Of course EDI would just go out and say it.

  
"You know, EDI, that's not really the protocol for Alliance interrogation."

  
"I am aware, however I am equipped with lie detection software and predict the accuracy of your statements 72% of the time."

  
"You never told me that."

  
"That's because it's a lie."

  
Now it was an obnoxious laugh, loud enough Shepard was sure the people down the hall could hear him. "EDI!" He said when he calmed down enough to talk, "You're not suppose to tell me that!"

  
"I know, I wanted to see your reaction."

  
Shepard hm-ed and took a drink of his water, debating on how to word what he wanted to say. "To answer your question, I ... I think so? When we fought my clone - the one Cerberus made - he said he didn't have my memories, and I have my memories, so I don't think I'm a clone. But to be honest I don't know how I got here. By all accounts, I should be dead."

  
EDI gave him a slow once over, blinking her eyes slowly with a blank face. Shepard was sure they were feeling the same way, unsure of how to proceed exactly. But there was one thing he was sure of: he needed to know what happened.

  
"So ...," he began, cutting through the silence and causing EDI to snapped her eyes to meet his. "Did we win?"

  
A smile slowly made it's way on her face, a look like fondness was in her eyes.

  
"Yes, I believe we did."

 

...

 

They found EDI, about an hour and a half later and right before Liara was about to give in and let Joker and James call out a code Adam for a missing child- about 5' 7", titanium grey and uhhh a fucking robot.

  
She was already in the interrogation room, giving the guards some bullshit line that she was there for questioning due to her processing or some other lie. But Kaidan couldn't be mad at her. Garrus kind of was, but calmed down when the two of them went into the side room to watch Shepard and EDI behind the one-way glass.

  
"How long have they been in there?" Garrus asked at first.

  
"About two hours," the guard answered.

  
"Has she been interrogating him this entire time?"

  
"Well the audio was out for the first hour but now? Well ..."

  
"When I was younger," Shepard was leaning back in his chair, a picture of ease as he answered EDI's question, "I could never pick a color. But now I think my favorite color is blue."

  
"Why blue?" EDI asked. Earlier she had left, only to returned with two steaming cups of hot chocolate. Hers, of course, was left untouched as she was unable to drink it but she claimed it 'felt nice, felt real'. Shepard, on the other hand, had his nearly empty already.

  
"Blue always reminds me of the people I care about. Like ...," Shepard leaned forward in his seat, thinking hard apparently. "like Grunt. Have you ever seen his eyes? They are such a beautiful and striking blue."

  
"Is this what they've been talking about?" Garrus laughed, running a hand over his face. "Favorite colors?"

  
"Along with favorite bands, celebrity crushes, and clothes they would pick out for their friends," the officer gave Kaidan a sideways glance and a smirk. "You would apparently look very good in a long sleeve Henley shirt and a pair of tan corduroys, Major."

  
Kaidan was unable to stop an embarrassed blush from his face.

  
"Oh! I should mention, Shepard, that I acquired your omnitool while you were ... incapacitated."

  
"Oh?"

  
"Yes and I didn't mean to pry but I did find some interesting pictures on it."

  
_"Oh."_

  
A pause of silence hung between the two friends.

  
"You look very good in pink."

  
"Oh my god," Shepard sighed as he hung his head in his hands.

  
Garrus leaned forward towards the intercom to state, "I would be interested in seeing those pictures."

  
_"Oh my god!"_

 

...

 

"Ms. Lawson, if you would just-"

  
"Where. Is. He?"

  
Pushing her way through the station was one Miranda Lawson. It had been a while since Kaidan last saw her, but she looked as immaculate as always. Her posture was perfect and her heels silent, the attendant never stood a chance against her.

  
Kaidan stepped up and placed a hand on the poor man's shoulder and said, "I'll take it from here, Christopher."

  
The man shot him a grateful glance before scurrying off as Miranda's cold gazed turned to Kaidan.

  
"Erm, right this way," Kaidan managed to squeak out. Kaidan had met Miranda a couple of times before, even talked to her but never had he had that icy look turned on him. It made him sheepish and aware of everything embarrassing he'd ever done in his life. Even while in what appeared to be a sleep shirt (an over sized t-shirt with small bunny-like creatures on it paired, however, with her usual classy pants and heels as if she only had time to get half dressed) and carrying two comically oversized plastic white bags, Miranda cut an intimidating figure.

  
It had been over fourty eight hours since Kaidan and the crew found Shepard. When Kaidan opened the interrogation room for Miranda he could tell Shepard was starting to sport the beginnings of a beard. His head hung low and he looked exhausted. Shepard had yet to be taken to a any form of cell for sleep and it showed.

  
Miranda pushed past Kaidan and, almost violently, threw the bags on the table startling Shepard who seemed ready to nod off. He stood to greet her but before he could even speak Miranda wrapped her arms around him. Kaidan burned with jealousy. Kaidan knew there was nothing romantic between them but he still yearned to hug Shepard, to hold him and feel that he was real. He could see, through the small window in the door, Shepard's shocked face then look of relief as he hugged her back.

  
_'God I wish that were me',_ Kaidan thought bitterly before entering the other side of the interrogation room along with almost everyone who could shove themselves in there. Kaidan was being elbowed in two places and quite possibly standing on someone’s foot.

  
_“Shhh!!!” “Shhh! They’re about to talk!” “Everyone shut up!”_

  
Miranda and Shepard sat down in their chairs, both looking tired as hell.

  
“I brought food, from Juan Garcia’s, that place you like.”

  
“You’re a goddamn angel, Randa.” Shepard needed no other permission and began digging into the food with gusto. “ _Muchísimas gracias_!”

  
There was quiet for a few minutes as Shepard ate his meal. A few word spoken here or there but mostly just the sound of crunching tacos and ‘chiladas.

  
“What do you expect to happen, Josh?” Miranda asked.

  
Shepard looked up at her from his food and turned solemn. He set down his utensils and wiped his mouth before saying, “I don’t know. I genuinely never thought I’d be … here. I thought those final moments were my final moments. D-did they already tell you my report over what happened?”

  
“I read EDI's summary over the flight over here, yes.”

  
“Miranda, I thought … I thought that was it. There was no way to bring me back from that, or at least I thought. The AI, maybe I … I don’t know it’s stupid but … I didn’t just throw myself into the laser for shits and giggles. I … uploaded my data into the stream? I’m not quite sure how to explain it, but to 'elevate' life in this universe I needed to share my code, both the genetic and mechanical sides of me and in doing that I think the Citadel AI cataloged all my data and … maybe … brought me back? I don’t know … Why would it do such a thing?”

  
Shepard took a moment to contemplate, Miranda let him.

  
“Do you have all your memories?”

  
“As far as I know,” Shepard sighed, “Yeah.”

  
“I’m going to ask you some questions.”

  
“Okay.”

  
“What was your mother’s name?”

  
“Mary, my step-mother's name is Hannah.”

  
“What year did you join the Alliance?”

  
“2176, I was 20 years old.”

  
“What’s the name of your best friend?”

  
Everyone on the other side of the glass leaned forward in anticipation, the tension in the room grew tenfold; everyone wanted to know the answer to this question.

  
But Shepard just huffed, exasperated, “ _Miranda_.”

  
“Oh me? I had no idea you felt so strongly about me.” She grinned like a cat.

  
Shepard sighed but he was smiling. They both chuckled for a bit.

  
“It’s good to see you again, Joshua.”

  
“Good to see you too.”

  
They spoke for a little longer, Miranda asking about his father, his sister, friends and lovers.

  
“You’re just trying to get me to kiss and tell,” Shepard chuckled at some point.

  
“Is it working?”

  
They both laughed. Then Shepard walked her through Saren's scheme, the start of their journey. He recounted their time amongst Cerberus, meeting their new friends and the suicide mission at the end. Shepard spoke of his last year, in Alliance custody, being reinstated, then fighting the war every step he could and hoping the crucible was enough, hoping it was the answer.

  
Then Miranda stood, the chair only squeaking slightly on the linoleum, and stuck her hand out for Shepard to grab. He took it and the two of them walked out of the interrogation room while everyone on the other side scrambled out to follow them.

  
When everyone was flushed out of the door they witnessed as Miranda wiped away the stray tears on Shep's face, her own eyes glistening. She turned to her small audience with a voice full of emotion, “I believe this is our Shepard.”

  
And Shepard looked onto his friends, stock still with their own tears. “I understand if you still don’t trust me, I wouldn’t-“

  
But Kaidan had heard enough, he had had his life time of doubt and mistrust already used up. He pushed through his friends and leaped into the arms of the man he loved-loves!-and held him with the strength of ten men. He couldn’t tell if the choked sobs came from him or Shepard.

  
All at once, like a damn being broken, everyone piled onto the hug. Even Joker, gingerly put his fragile bones into the mix. They all laughed, they all cried. Voices repeating, “God, I can’t believe this is real,” and “why does this always happen to you?” echoed around the hall.

  
Then the sound of someone clearing their throat reached them and they all separated, but not completely. Everyone had a hand on each other, no one wanted to disconnected.

  
“It’s good to see you all like this,” Admiral Hackett looked on them as fondly as Shepard had ever seen. “I believe everything is cleared up? This is going to be a lot of paperwork but, Shepard, you’re always welcome in the Alliance.”

  
A electric shot ran through him, part happiness, part anxiety, part anger. Shepard had a lot of thinking to do.

  
“I don’t know, Admiral, I was thinking about becoming a pirate,” Shep grinned, his eyes still red rimmed. “Though maybe do a whole Robin Hood shebang.”

  
“Shepard, I don’t think you'd do very good as a pirate if you were, as you said, “robbin’ the hood” as hoods often don't hide much wealth,” Liara said with some pride in her voice before turning to Garrus, “I told you I had been working on human slang.”

  
“Very well done, Liara.”

  
“All joking aside, Admiral,” Shepard gripped Kaidan's hand just a bit tighter, Kaidan responding by laying his other hand atop their connected ones. “I'll have to think on it. I have a lot to think about.”

  
Hackett gave him a thoughtful look, his eyes moved to Shepard and Kaidan's hands then to Garrus's hand on Shepard’s shoulder, Tali's hand in Garrus's and just down the line of everyone holding onto each other in some way. This was more than a team.

  
“I suppose you do, good luck out there Shepard. I'm … I'm here if you need anything.”

  
“Thank you, sir.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> And then Shepard died a third time from paperwork overload!
> 
> But basically my idea was that the child AI got all of Shepard's data when he jumped into the laser at the end and since the AI can make the Keepers and shit I figured, hey can't it just make Shepard another body?
> 
> Don't think about it too much, it's not important.


End file.
